Mouth protector for a saliva ejector



1, 1967 L. B. BOISVERT 3,333,340

MOUTH PROTECTOR FOR A SALIVA EJECTOR Filed March 24, 1965 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,333,340 MOUTH PROTECTOR FOR A SALIVA EJECTORLilliane B. Boisvert, 169 Wayne St., Manchester, N.H. 03102 Filed Mar.24, 1965, Ser. No. 442,280 2 Claims. (Cl. 32-33) This invention relatesto a for use with a saliva ejector.

Saliva ejectors are commonly used by dentists, as in filling a patientstooth. The gooseneck portion of said ejector rests directly on apatients lip and may contact his teeth and also his gums and other partsof his mouth. To use the same ejector on different persons is unsanitaryand may transfer disease from one patient to another unless said ejectoris thoroughly sterilized before each use, which is time consuming andmay be neglected.

Accordingly, one object of my invention is to provide a protector foruse with a saliva ejector that will rest directly on the lip and otherparts of the mouth where the ejector ordinarily would make contacttherewith. Since my protector may be made of inexpensive material, suchas plastic, it may 'be discarded after one use, thus providing assuranceto a patient that the protector is used on him alone. I

Another object is to provide said protector with a retainer portionwhereby it will receive and retain said ejector and protector together.

A further object is to provide said protector with a receiving groove,so that the ejector will assume a predetermined position in contact withsaid protector and remain there throughout the period of use on apatient.

A still further object is to so construct said protector that it can bemade integral, in large quantities, of relatively inexpensive material,hence can be produced at such a low cost that one can afiord to discardthe protector after one use.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction,combination and arrangement such as is disclosed by the drawing. Thenature of the invention is such as to render its susceptible to variouschanges and modifications, and therefore, I am not to be limited to theconstruction disclosed by the drawing nor to the particular partsdescribed in the specification; but am entitled to all such changestherefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showing my mouth protector as used inassociation with a saliva ejector.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the protector and saliva ejector asshown in said FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, perspective view of my protector.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the manner in which my protector inassociation with a saliva ejector is used by a patient.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of my protector.

As illustrated, my mouth protector has a retainer pormouth protectorespecially 3,333,340 Patented Aug. 1, 1967 tion 10, shown as a clasp,that has an opening 12 including a laterally extending opening 13therein. Extending from said retainer portion 10 is a protector portion14 that has a straight portion 16 extending directly from said retainerportion 10 and from which extends a gooseneck or U-shaped portion 18terminating with a widened end portion 19. Said protector portion 14 hasan inwardly extending groove 20 intermediate opposite sides thereof thatreceives the usual saliva ejector.

Said saliva ejector 22 is hollow and it has the usual straight portion24 that terminates in an open or discharge end 26. Extending from saidstraight portion 24 is a gooseneck or U-shaped portion 28 that fits insaid protector groove 20, terminating in a head 30 having slits or smallholes 32 therein.

Said ejector portion 24 is inserted through said retainer portionopening 13 which is shown with said opening 13 in said FIG. 5 as itwould be when spread open to receive portion 24. Part of said ejectorstraight portion 24 extends into said groove 20 as does said gooseneckportion 28.

As will be noted in said FIG. 6, said gooseneck portion 18 of myprotector will rest directly on the patients lip and otherwise make somecontact with the patients teeth and mouth. Since said protector may bemade of a relatively inexpensive material, when it once has been used,it is separated from the saliva ejector and discarded.

In FIG. 7 of the drawing I show a modified form of protector in which aretainer portion 36 has an opening 38 therethrough that is enclosed.Extending from said retainer portion 36 is a protector portion 40 havinga straight portion 42 from which extends a gooseneck or U-shaped portion44. Said protector portion 40 has an inwardly extending groove 46 thatreceives said ejector. The discharge end 26 of the latter is insertedthrough said opening 38 and said protector portion 40 receives saidejector as previously explained.

What I claim is:

1. An integral mouth protector comprising a retainer portion having anopening to receive a saliva ejector, a protector portion extending fromsaid retainer portion embodying a gooseneck portion adapted to receive aportion of a saliva ejector, said protector portion having an elongate,continuous external groove therein for its full length thereof in whicha said saliva ejector portion is adapted to enter, said gooseneckportion being open and wider than the portion adjoining it at the endextremity only.

2. A mouth protector as set forth in claim 1, said retainer portionbeing at the end extremity of said protector portion and having alateral opening extending continuously between the upper and lowerextremities thereof whereby a saliva ejector may be receivedtherethrough.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,698,331 1/1929 Gunter 32332,274,893 3/ 1942 Freeman 32-33 2,595,666 5/1952 Hutson 32-33 3,029,5134/1962 Fletcher 32-33 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. R. E. MORGAN,Examiner, J. W. HINEY, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN INTEGRAL MOUTH PROTECTOR COMPRISING A RETAINER PORTION HAVING ANOPENING TO RECEIVE A SALIVA EJECTOR, A PROTECTOR PORTION EXTENDING FROMSAID RETAINER PORTION EMBODYING A GOOSENECK PORTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE APORTION OF A SALIVA EJECTOR, SAID PROTECTOR PORTION HAVING AN ELONGATE,CONTINUOUS EXTERNAL GROOVE THEREIN FOR ITS FULL LENGTH THEREOF IN WHICHA SAID SALIVA EJECTOR PORTION IS ADAPTED TO ENTER, SAID GOOSENECKPORTION BEING OPEN AND WIDER THAN THE PORTION ADJOINING IT AT THE ENDEXTREMITY ONLY.